Staples in use, showing the front and the back side. The back side shows the end flipped outwards on the left and inwards on the rightA staple is a type of two-pronged fastener, usually metal, used for joining or binding materials together. Large staples might be used with a hammer or staple gun for fencing, masonry, roofing and cardboard boxes. Smaller staples are used with a stapler to attach pieces of paper together; such staples are a permanent and durable fastener for paper documents, unlike the paper clip.The legs of a staple can be allowed to protrude out the back side and folded over to provide greater binding than the friction of straight legs. (Note: The term "stapling" is used for both fastening with straight or bent legs; however, when differentiating between the two, the term "tacking" is used for straight-leg stapling, while the term "stapling" is used for bent-leg stapling when being contrasted with "tacking".)Contents1 Staples in the home2 Staples in business3 Staples in medicine4 Staples in construction5 Staples as weapons6 History7 Advantages8 Staple specifications9 See also10 External links11 References // Staples in the home

The most common staples are used with paper. They are almost exclusively applied with a mechanical stapler which clinches the legs after they pass through the paper. Staples of this type are used with a desktop stapling machine.When stapling with a stapler the papers to be fastened are placed between the main body and the anvil. The papers are pinched between the body and the anvil, then a drive blade pushes on the crown of the staple on the end of the staple strip. The staple breaks from the end of the strip and the legs of the staple are forced through the paper. As the legs hit the grooves in the anvil they are bent to hold the pages together. Many staplers have an anvil in the form of a "pinning" or "stapling" switch. This allows a choice between bending in or out. The outward bent staples are easier to remove and are for temporary fastening or "pinning". This feature became obsolete with the invention of the paper clip (citation needed).

Most staplers are capable of stapling without the anvil to drive straight leg staples for tacking.There are various types of staples for paper, including heavy-duty staples, designed for use on documents 20, 50, or over 100 pages thick. There are also speedpoint staples, which have slightly sharper teeth so they can go through paper more easily. Staples in businessThe large staples found on corrugated cardboard boxes have folded legs, but they are applied from the outside and do not use an anvil; jaw-like appendages push through the cardboard alongside the legs and bend them from the outside.Saddle stitch staplers, also known as "booklet staplers," feature a longer reach from the pivot point than general-purpose staplers and are used to bind pages into a booklet or "signature". Some, such as the Ring King, can also use "loop-staples" that enable the user to integrate folded matter into ring books and binders. Staples in medicineSurgical staples are used for the closing of incisions and wounds, a function also performed by sutures. Staples in constructionConstruction staples are commonly larger, have a more varied use, and are delivered by a staple gun or hammer tacker. Staple guns do not have backing anvils and are exclusively used for tacking. They typically have staples made from thicker metal. Some staple guns have round heads for fastening small cables, e.g. phone or cable TV, without damaging the cable. Faster and easier devices known as hammer tackers or staple hammers operate without complex mechanics as a simple head loaded with a strip of staples drives them directly; this method requires a measure of skill. Powered electric staplers or pneumatic staplers drive staples easily and accurately; they are the simplest manner of applying staples, however are hindered by a cord or hose. Staples as weapons

Some staples can be used as weapons to inflict death or bodily harm. The most common form of a staple as a weapon is from a staple gun. Due to the size of the staples, death is rare but injury is common. Another less lethal form is a scorpion, as seen in the image to the right. Staple scorpions consist of staples twisted together to create makeshift caltrops. These are often seen in the office as a prank, and inflict pain to the victim. History